Our fourth International Women’s Day event is taking place on Friday 7^th March at The Villa, Levens (nr Kendal) from 9.30am to 4.30pm with the theme Accelerate Action.

We’ve a great line up of speakers, workshops and panellists and with capacity of up to 150 and 16 exhibition stands it promises to be an inspiring and uplifting day open to both women and men.

Our guest speaker is Kelly Cornwell. Kelly was the recipient of the Jim Cox Prize (a special award for the ‘most inspirational student’) when she graduated from the University of Cumbria in November 2023. Selected by academics within the Institute of Health, Kelly was chosen after she completed her degree while facing a year like no other. 

Her husband Kevin, a humanitarian aid worker, was taken captive by the Taliban in January 2023 whilst working in Afghanistan. Two weeks later, Kelly had to undergo emergency surgery, spending five weeks at home in Lancashire recovering from her operation. Once well enough, Kelly began clawing back the 170 placement hours she had missed in addition to the five hundred hours of a final professional placement she had to do to complete her degree. Kevin was released on 10 October 2023, and just weeks after his return to the UK, he was able to see Kelly graduate at Carlisle Cathedral.

Delegates will also attend the below three workshops:

Freeing our capacities to lead - the neuroplasticity way with Macarena Vergara

Re-framing Menopause In The Workplace: From Challenge To Opportunity - with Lina Mookerjee BEng MA BACP (Senior Accred.) PhD Researcher 

Sexual Harassment with Caroline Rayner from Knights

We’ll end the day with our usual panel discussion, this year’s panellists are:

• Julie Clayton, Chief Executive Officer, Eden Valley Hospice

• Sue Howorth, Co-Director, The Family Business Community

• Gina Pennington, Owner and Director, Penningtons Tea & Coffee Ltd

• Mark Ebdon, Factory General Manager, Pladis

• Julie Mennell, Vice Chancellor, University of Cumbria

Throughout the day there will be breaks and lunch giving plenty of networking opportunities – we’re also being treated to a sit down two course lunch and afternoon tea courtesy of sponsors The Villa, Levens.

We’ll be supporting Eden Valley Hospice during the day by holding a raffle – if anyone would like to donate a raffle prize please email lesleyr@cumbriachamber.co.uk 

You can book here – if you wish to take an exhibition space you also need to pay for a ticket to attend.

Sponsorship opportunities are still available from £250 +VAT – anyone interested should email lesleyr@cumbriachamber.co.uk